We are an inpatient society. We are in the midst of great upheaval in our financial systems and yet there is daily commentary on “the fix” and how soon it will be behind us. We are always looking for the quick solution or the one method to answer our concerns. We are sometimes so busy looking that we let other problems surface. Physician recruitment has been so much in our focus these past few years that many of our organizations have lost focus on physician retention. To avoid the revolving door and to make sure we are allowing our hard-won recruitment efforts to pay off, we need to make sure that retention has the same focus as recruitment.
Building a physician relations program takes time. A good physician relations program also has a wide array of aspects – formal, informal, executive rounding, liaison visits, physician to physician. There are many pieces to a comprehensive program. Examining the program and making incremental and systematic refinements will help build effectiveness without overwhelming your resources.
One of the central tenants to all outward facing endeavors is building the relationship. Your long-term focus is on the physician’s strategic needs and working together to sustain satisfaction with the hospital’s service. Note the emphasis is on long-term. While you may move mountains to help with a quick fix, the bulk of your energies should be developing success on both sides of the relationship: problem-solving, service and communication.
As you develop the relationship, communication will be your strongest asset. With new physicians, schedule in contact times to check up on how they are doing and feeling. This may include sending a reminder to the pertinent service line manager to make sure key orientation activities are happening. You also want to maintain contact with the appropriate physician(s) who is working with the new physician to help them connect. And how is their family adjusting to the community? Keep tabs on the communication emissaries and track the contact points. While you are building a relationship and the process is organic, it is wise to facilitate meaningful encounters until the relationships have solidified.
Tags: communication tactics, connecting, planning
